Rating: Loved/hated in that this book totally effed me up.Did I finish?: Yes.One-sentence summary: Fourteen year old Esch is pregnant, caring for her absent, violent alcoholic father and three brothers, each needy in their own way, against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina.

Do I like the cover?: Yes, as much of the story centers around a pit bull named China.

First line: China's turned on herself.

Did... I cringe from the first page?: YES. The writing is stellar and so the violence packs a punch. I was winded, and it was good/painful/awful/amazing.

Did... I inhale this book in a single night?: YES. Really, I couldn't shake this book, even when I was horrified and uncomfortable. I had to read on.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow or buy: this is a hard book but one that is moving, thought- and conversation-provoking. Perfect for a book club.

Why did I get this book?: Grim or awful as this may sound, I've been interested in reading narratives about Hurricane Katrina.

Review: This is a book I didn't want to read, but I couldn't stop reading it. The story is gutting -- literally, pulling-out-my-innards painful -- and yet, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and their story. It hurt to read; it hurt to not read.

This is the first novel I've read that features Hurricane Katrina specifically and the horrific aftermath, and there's a lot in this book that is stomach-turning. Violence, neglect, and sex are depicted with unromantic and blunt honesty, the story of a fractured family struggling to survive in their own way. Fourteen year-old Esch is pregnant and hiding it from her brothers and alcoholic father. Her brother Skeetah is raising China, a pit bull for dog fighting, who has had her first litter. Her youngest brother skates by, desperate for attention, while her other brother Randall is convinced basketball will be the key to escaping this poverty.

Although the narrator is fourteen, this isn't a YA novel; the voice is both young but knowing, a child who has had to grow up too fast. Esch's burgeoning pregnancy and China's whelping are meant to bounce off each other: giving birth, nurturing life, but this is not a book where the girl and dog find safety and hope in each other. Instead, China's litter, her response to her pups, her owner's response, reminds Esch of the love she doesn't have, the lack of mothering in her own life, and very real unknown facing her. What was so good about this book was that Esch was a real, complicated character. She's well read and can't stop thinking in terms of mythology (when China eats one of her puppies, Esch thinks immediately of Medea), a trait I found achingly familiar from my own teenaged years, and it was painful to see how different her life was from mine. Were the novel simply about her life, that would be a moving enough story but the additional impact of Hurricane Katrina provides this low-grade tension since we know what's coming. Honestly, I nearly ground my teeth to nubs in my anxiety to finish.

I don't like doing hard things for the sake of building character, but I do believe in reading tough books now and then because of the enormous impact it has on my perception of the world. This book challenged me -- frankly, at times, it scared me -- but it was so moving, so well-written, that the odd twist of hope and melancholy at the end of the story left a knot in my chest. I can't swallow it away.

*** *** ***

GIVEAWAY!

I'm thrilled to be able to offer a copy of Salvage the Bones to one lucky reader. To enter, fill out this simple form. Open to US/CA readers, closes 10/14.

I had a hard time with this book, but I do agree with you that it was the kind of book you couldn't put down. It felt so rough and raw most of the time, and each situation held its own sadness and fright. I think it was a giant feat of imagination, but I wasn't prepared for the way that it would make me feel, especially the whole plot involving China. This was a wonderful and moving review, and a great tribute to the raw power of the book. Thanks for sharing it.

I want to read this one but I'm afraid to read it at the same time, basically for all the reasons you mention in your review. It seems to be one of those books that will never leave you once you read it.

Thanks for taking on the challenge of this book and for being a part of the tour.

I've been like OBSESSED with Katrina poetry for so long. I'm going to have to read this book. Totally and completely. The poet, Patricia Smith, wrote some a really wonderful poem about a dog chained to a tree during the storm. You should read that along with this it sounds like. Her poetry collection is titled, Blood Dazzler.

@iwriteinbooks: I do recommend it. It's like a novel equivalent of Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke. Painful, necessary, amazing.

@Col: I know, had I known how undisguised the violence would be, I think I would have wimped out, but I'm glad I read this, even if I am totally scarred.

@Rhapsody: Yes, I can totally appreciate that, and I feared the book as I read it. Still, it was good, such as it was, just...intense.

@Heather: Thank you for comment -- the stuff with China was the hardest for me to stomach. All of it. I was just cringing the whole time. I shudder still.

@HeatherTLC: It was so worth it -- thanks for having me!

@Cassie: You will absolutely want to get this book then because the writing is so good -- the mixture of mythological references with the real gritty horror of the Gulf -- amazing. Thanks for the rec -- I'm going to look for it this weekend!

@Bookspersonally: Thank you -- it was incredible.

@Serena: I've been on another streak -- love it -- although I've had some serious late nights because I can't stop reading! Thanks for the rec -- I've heard of the author (and maybe the book) but will look for them this weekend. And I'm running over now to see your recap -- I'm so jealous!

Wow, wow and wow! I had no idea what this book was about. I sort of glanced at the cover at one point and thought, meh. But your review...wow. I totally want to read it now. I love gritty, but not just for the sake of being gritty.

This sounds like such a difficult read but one that I would actually be really interested in. Have you read Zeitoun? It's non-fiction but it's narrative non-fiction so it reads like fiction and it's about Hurricane Katrina. It's crazy! (But really good)

I could not finish this book. For me it was just too much and I think maybe it was just the wrong timing for me to be reading it. So many have said the same thing as you - that it is such a powerful book. Maybe someday I'll pick it up again but not just yet.

I'm so interested in this book and so glad you reviewed it so that I can know if it's worth the read. When I saw it on the list for the prize I was like, do I really want to read a book centered around a dog? Now I guess I do. If you couldn't stop reading it, I must get my hands on it.

I know this is a powerful, intense book and it deal with some subjects I'm not sure I can handle. But I also don't want to put a well-written, important book aside because it might make me uncomfortable. I want to try reading it and see if I can hndle these subjects.

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It looks like I've read 33 books this year, which is five less than last year. But given the crazy amounts of stress and drama that hit me in 2018, I'm frankly delighted with this count.

Ten of my 33 reads were by authors of color. Six of my 33 reads were penned by male-identified authors. Nine reads were not novels: one play, three volumes of poetry, two memoirs, two collections of essays, and a graphic novel.

I achieved a wopping zero on reading challenges, which I aim to change in 2019. Mostly by committing myself to two (Read Harder and Historical Fiction) and really diversifying my reading. And reading more, you know, than I had this year. (Re-frame: This year I knit 8 items, which is a 2000% improvement over other years. So, small perk of reading less!)

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is my favorite challenge of the year! (Although it's really not a challenge for me to read historical fiction, so I mostly use this "challenge" to make myself feel great.)

Since I've been diversifying my reading the last year or two, I'm not reading as much historical fiction as I have, so I'm not going to aim for the 50+ designation this year. I'm going to go for 'Ancient History - 25' books.

Some historical novels I'm hoping to read in 2019 include Nisi Shawl's Everfair, anything by Cat Sebastian that I haven't read yet (so maybe any 2019 releases, I think...!), Stephanie Thornton's upcoming release, American Princess, and Madeline Miller's Circe, which I didn't get to this year.

This weekend I won't be reading since my family will be attending the New Bedford Whaling Museum's annual Moby Dick Marathon, a weekend event where passionate fans read Moby Dick aloud.

Moby Dick is my wife's all time favorite book so when we discovered this event, it immediately became an annual affair for us. This is our fifth year going, and my wife is an official reader for her second year in a row. She's very excited.

I'm not a Moby Dick fan but I do love geeks, and it's impossible not to enjoy this when surrounded by passionate fans. The read happens at the museum, which only enhances the story, and there are all kinds of fun nods to the story -- there's a celebrity Ishmael to open the reading every year, the mayor reads the section of Ishmael walking thru Bedford, and the worship scene happens at the Seaman's Bethel, etc.

So, it's not my preferred read, but it'll do. What are you reading this weekend?

I'm a nearly-40 married lesbian with a farmer wife and bookish kid. I've a thing for literary fiction and historical novels. But I'm also having a pretty torrid affair with gritty noir and some fantastical fiction. I love interesting heroines, gorgeous prose, place as character, and the occasional werewolf.

Popular posts from this blog

It looks like I've read 33 books this year, which is five less than last year. But given the crazy amounts of stress and drama that hit me in 2018, I'm frankly delighted with this count.

Ten of my 33 reads were by authors of color. Six of my 33 reads were penned by male-identified authors. Nine reads were not novels: one play, three volumes of poetry, two memoirs, two collections of essays, and a graphic novel.

I achieved a wopping zero on reading challenges, which I aim to change in 2019. Mostly by committing myself to two (Read Harder and Historical Fiction) and really diversifying my reading. And reading more, you know, than I had this year. (Re-frame: This year I knit 8 items, which is a 2000% improvement over other years. So, small perk of reading less!)

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is my favorite challenge of the year! (Although it's really not a challenge for me to read historical fiction, so I mostly use this "challenge" to make myself feel great.)

Since I've been diversifying my reading the last year or two, I'm not reading as much historical fiction as I have, so I'm not going to aim for the 50+ designation this year. I'm going to go for 'Ancient History - 25' books.

Some historical novels I'm hoping to read in 2019 include Nisi Shawl's Everfair, anything by Cat Sebastian that I haven't read yet (so maybe any 2019 releases, I think...!), Stephanie Thornton's upcoming release, American Princess, and Madeline Miller's Circe, which I didn't get to this year.

This weekend I won't be reading since my family will be attending the New Bedford Whaling Museum's annual Moby Dick Marathon, a weekend event where passionate fans read Moby Dick aloud.

Moby Dick is my wife's all time favorite book so when we discovered this event, it immediately became an annual affair for us. This is our fifth year going, and my wife is an official reader for her second year in a row. She's very excited.

I'm not a Moby Dick fan but I do love geeks, and it's impossible not to enjoy this when surrounded by passionate fans. The read happens at the museum, which only enhances the story, and there are all kinds of fun nods to the story -- there's a celebrity Ishmael to open the reading every year, the mayor reads the section of Ishmael walking thru Bedford, and the worship scene happens at the Seaman's Bethel, etc.

So, it's not my preferred read, but it'll do. What are you reading this weekend?

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